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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Amid all the noise and QRM, Marion Island is in my log!!!

Marion Island.

I've spent a good bit of time at the radio this weekend, hunting interesting ones on the 10 metre band. 28 Mhz has been in terrific condition for the CQWW 2013 contest, and the band is packed from 28.200 up to and above 29.000. I worked PJ6A in Saba and St. Eustasius as a new DXCC on 10 metres (#220) yesterday, having spent a long time trying him.

Today, I really didn't expect any great action. I knew I would get a few nice ones into the log. However, what I did not expect was for ZS8C on Marion Island to pop up - and for me to be able to hear him on my hexbeam amid all the QRM. He was very light, and there was slow QSB on him such that he was disappearing into the noise for a minute or two at a time.

But he came back up again and I called him, and pretty soon he was giving me "Echo India Two Kilo Charlie, five nine, three eight"! I had him! When I called him back, I was QRMed by an Italian station. So I need to give my "Roger roger, five nine one four" a few times to be sure.

So I worked DXCC #221 on 10 metres and #295 overall, completely unexpectedly. Absolutely delighted!

Edit: I have now received an email from Carson ZS8C to confirm that I am in his log!

2 comments:

Well done Anthony, congrats with Marion Isl. The CQWW might be deliver big noise on the bands but it is the chance to work those new DXCCs. So far I believe I worked 4 new DXCC. But did not have time to look at my log yet. Will do that this evening. Not shure if I worked ZS8, can't remember. 73, Bas

Good afternoon Anthony, very nice job on the contacts and for sure the contest do bring about lots of op's but then again it also brings some nice rare stations as well. We have had some nice openings here on 10m as well and just with the Alexloop there are not super contacts but nice one non the less. Very nice job on the new DXCCMike